Isabella Elizabeth Farnese was born on 25 October 1692 at Parma, Italy. She was the daughter of Odoardo II Farnese, Duca di Parma and Dorothea Sophie Pfalzgräfin von Neuburg. (3) She married Felipe V de Borbón, Rey de España, son of Louis de Bourbon, Dauphin de France and Maria-Anna Prinzessin von Bayern, on 24 December 1714. She died on 11 July 1766 at age 73.

Children of Isabella Elizabeth Farnese and Felipe V de Borbón, Rey de España

Elisabeth Farnese (Italian: Elisabetta Farnese, Spanish: Isabel de Farnesio; 22 October 1692 – 11 July 1766), the daughter of Odoardo II Farnese and Dorothea Sophie of the Palatinate-Neuburg, was Queen consort of Spain who exerted great influence over Spain's foreign policy.

Contents

[show]

* 1 Biography

o 1.1 Parma

o 1.2 Spain

o 1.3 Widowhood

* 2 Issue

* 3 Ancestry

* 4 Sources

* 5 References

[edit] Biography

[edit] Parma

Elisabeth Farnese

Elisabeth was born at the Palazzo della Pilotta in Parma, the capital of a duchy which had been ruled by her family for over two centuries. Elisabeth would later become the heiress of her father's dominions after her uncle Francesco Farnese, Duke of Parma and his younger brother, both of whom remained childless.

The Duchy of Parma would later be inherited by her first son Infante Carlos, and after his accession to the Spanish throne the title passed on to her third son Infante Felipe. It was he who founded the modern day House of Bourbon-Parma.

Her mother educated her in strict seclusion, but even this measure failed to tame her imperious and ambitious temper. At the age of twenty-one (24 December 1714) she was married by proxy at Parma to Philip V of Spain. The marriage was arranged by Cardinal Alberoni, with the concurrence of the Princesse des Ursins, the Camarera Mayor of the King of Spain.

[edit] Spain

On arriving at the Spanish border, Elizabeth was met by the Princesse des Ursins, but received her sternly, and, perhaps in accordance with a plan previously concerted with the king, at once ordered her removal from her presence and from Spain. Elizabeth quickly obtained complete influence over Philip V, who was considered by all means a weak king. This influence was exerted altogether in support of Alberoni's policy, one chief aim of which was to recover the ancient Italian possessions of Spain, and which actually resulted in the seizure of Sardinia and Sicily. So vigorously did she enter into this policy that, when the French forces advanced to the Pyrenees, she placed herself at the head of one division of the Spanish army.

But Elizabeth's ambition was grievously disappointed. The Triple Alliance thwarted her plans with British troops raiding Vigo, and at length in 1720 the allies made the banishment of Alberoni a condition of peace. Sicily also had to be evacuated and finally all her entreaties failed to prevent the abdication of Philip, who in 1724 gave up the throne in favour of his firstborn heir (from his first marriage), and retired to the palace of La Granja. (Also in 1724, she acquired the San Ildefonso Group for him from the Odescalchi family.)

Philip V and Elisabeth in 1739

Seven months later, however, the death of the young king recalled Philip to the throne. During his later years, when he was nearly senile, she directed the whole policy of Spain so as to secure thrones in Italy for her sons. In 1731 she had the satisfaction of seeing her favorite scheme realized with the recognition by the powers in the Treaty of Vienna of her son Don Carlos (afterwards Charles III of Spain) as the Duke of Parma, and after the Treaty of Vienna (1738) his accession to the throne of the Two Sicilies. Her second son, Philip, became Duke of Parma in 1748.

In Elisabeth's time, Spain was a leading power in the world with a large empire stretching from its hub in Europe to much of the Americas.

[edit] Widowhood

Elizabeth survived her husband by twenty years. In the time between his death in 1746 and her own in 1766, she witnessed many events: the accession to the Spanish throne of her stepson, Ferdinand VI and Barbara of Portugal, whom she hated; and the accession to the throne of Parma of her beloved second son, Philip. In 1752 she built Riofrio Palace as her dowager residence. One year before her death she had the satisfaction of seeing the marriage between her grandson, Charles, Prince of Asturias (future Charles IV), and her granddaugther Maria Luisa of Parma.

She later spent much of her time at the palaces of La Granja and Aranjuez. It was there that she died in 1766 at the age of 73. She was buried next to her husband in the Colegiata of San Ildefonso.

[show]Family of Elisabeth in 1723

Family of Philip V in 1723; Elisabeth's stepson Infante Ferdinand of Spain and future King Ferdinand VI; her husband King Philip; Louis, Prince of Asturias, another stepson; Infante Felipe, future Duke of Parma; Elisabeth of Parma; painting of her eldest daughter Infanta Mariana Victoria of Spain who was in France and betrothed to Louis XV and her eldest son Infante Carlos, another future King of Spain. Painting by Jean Ranc.

[show]Family of Elisabeth of Parma in 1743

"The Family of Philip V of Spain 1743"; (L-R) Mariana Victoria, Princess of Brazil; Barbara, Princess of Asturias; Ferdinand, Prince of Asturias; King Philip V; Luis, Count of Chinchón; Elisabeth of Parma; Infante Philip; Princess Louise Élisabeth of France; Infanta Maria Teresa Rafaela; Infanta Maria Antonietta; Maria Amalia, Queen of Naples and Sicily; Charles, King of Naples and Sicily. The two children in the foreground are Princess Maria Isabella Anne of Naples and Sicily and Infanta Isabella of Spain (daughter of the future Duke of Parma)

[edit] Issue

Name Portrait Lifespan Notes

Charles

Duke of Parma

King of Naples and Sicily

King of Spain Charles III of Spain.jpg 20 January 1716 –

14 December 1788 was the King of Spain and the Spanish Indes from 1759 to his death in 1788. In 1738 he married the cultured Princess Maria Amalia of Saxony with whom he had 13 children with;

15 January 1781 ; was Queen Consort of Portugal and the Algarves due to her marriage to Joseph I. She also acted as Queen Regent of Portugal.

Philip

Duke of Parma Felipe de Parma.jpg 20 March 1720 –

18 July 1765 Duke of Parma, Plasencia and Guastalla (15 March 1720 – 18 July 1765) was duke of Parma from 1748 to 1765. He founded the house of Bourbon-Parma (a.k.a the Bourbons of Parma); married Princess Louise Élisabeth of France and had issue.

Infanta Maria Teresa Antonia Rafaela

Duaphine of France María Teresa Rafaela of Spain.jpg 11 June 1726 –

22 July 1746 was Dauphine of France as spouse of Louis, Dauphin of France. In France, she was known simply as Madame la Dauphine.

Infante Luis Antonio Jaime

Count of Chinchón InfanteLuisDeBorbon.jpg 25 July 1727 –

7 August 1785 known as the Cardinal-Infante. Was Archbishop of Toledo, Primate of Spain and Cardinal since 1735. In 1754 renounced his ecclesiastical titles and became Count of Chinchón. In 1776, he married morganatically Doña María Teresa de Vallabriga y Rozas and had issue, but without royal titles.

* The Spanish original of the Comentarios del marqués de San Felipe was published in the Biblioteca de Autores Españoles.

[edit] References

* This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

This page was last modified on 19 July 2010 at 18:37.

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Elisabeth of Parma

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Elizabeth Farnese (October 22, 1692 – July 11, 1766), Queen consort of Spain, also known as Isabel de Farnesio or Isabella Farnese, was the only daughter of Odoardo II Farnese. Her paternal grandparents were Ranuccio II Farnese, Duke of Parma and Isabella of Modena.

Maternal ancestry

Her mother Dorothea Sophie of Neuburg was a daughter of Philipp Wilhelm, Elector Palatine of the Rhine and Landgravine Elisabeth Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt. Her maternal grandparents were George II, Landgrave of Hesse (1605 – 1661) and Duchess Sophia Eleonore of Saxony (1609 – 1671).

Sofie Eleonore was in turn a daughter of John George II, Elector of Saxony and Magdalene of Brandenburg. Her maternal grandparents were Albert Frederick, Duke of Prussia (1553 – 1618) and Princess Marie of Cleves-Jülich.

Marie was a daughter of Wilhelm, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg and a granddaughter of John III, Duke of Cleves. Her mother the Archduchess Maria was a daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I and Anna of Bohemia and Hungary.

Anna of Bohemia was herself a daughter of Vladislaus II and Anne de Foix.

[edit]Life account

Her mother educated her in strict seclusion, but seclusion altogether failed to tame her imperious and ambitious temper. At the age of twenty-one (1714) she was married by proxy at Parma to Philip V of Spain. The marriage was arranged by Cardinal Alberoni, with the concurrence of the Princesse des Ursins, the Camarera Mayor.

On arriving at the borders of Spain, Elizabeth was met by the Princesse des Ursins, but received her sternly, and, perhaps in accordance with a plan previously concerted with the king, at once ordered her to be removed from her presence and from Spain. Elizabeth quickly obtained complete influence over Philip V, who was considered a weak king. This influence was exerted altogether in support of the policy of Alberoni, one chief aim of which was to recover the ancient Italian possessions of Spain, and which actually resulted in the seizure of Sardinia and Sicily. So vigorously did she enter into this policy that, when the French forces advanced to the Pyrenees, she placed herself at the head of one division of the Spanish army.

But Elizabeth's ambition was grievously disappointed. The Triple Alliance thwarted her plans, and at length in 1720 the allies made the banishment of Alberoni a condition of peace. Sicily also had to be evacuated. And finally, all her entreaties failed to prevent the abdication of Philip, who in 1724 gave up the throne to his heir, and retired to the palace of La Granja. (Also in 1724, she acquired the San Ildefonso Group for him from the Odescalchi family.)

Seven months later, however, the death of the young king recalled Philip to the throne. During his later years, when he was nearly imbecile, she directed the whole policy of Spain so as to secure thrones in Italy for her sons. In 1731 she had the satisfaction of seeing her favorite scheme realized with the recognition by the powers in the Treaty of Vienna of her son Don Carlos (afterwards Charles III of Spain) as the Duke of Parma, and after the Treaty of Vienna (1738) his accession to the throne of the Two Sicilies. and his Her second son, Philip, became in 1748 also Duke of Parma. Elizabeth survived her husband by twenty years.

[edit]List of children

She had seven children by Philip V:

Charles III of Spain (January 20, 1716 – December 14, 1788).

Infante Francisco of Spain (21 March 1717 – 21 April 1717).

Infanta Mariana Victoria de Borbón (March 31, 1718 – January 15, 1781). She became Queen consort of Joseph I of Portugal.

Philip of Parma (March 20, 1720 – July 18, 1765) Duke of Parma and founder of the line of House of Bourbon-Parma.

Infante Luis Antonio of Spain (July 25, 1727 – 7 August 1785), known as the Cardinal-Infante. Was Archbishop of Toledo, Primate of Spain and Cardinal since 1735. In 1754 renounced his ecclesiastical titles and became Count of Chinchón. In 1776, he married morganatically Doña María Teresa de Vallabriga y Rozas and had issue, but without royal titles.